This story is brought to you through our news-gathering partnership with The Outer Banks Voice.
On July 16, Duck police officers were called to the beach at Ocean Crest Way when a child found a partial jawbone in the surf.
The partial jawbone is around three inches long and contains four teeth. The child’s family gave the bone to a surf rescue lifeguard, and it was turned over to a police officer. The Duck Police Department contacted a forensic pathologist in the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Greenville who requested photographs.
According to Kay Nickens, Public Information and Events Director in Duck, “After the pathologist studied the initial photographs, additional photographs were requested with an emphasis on the four teeth. The pathologist’s preliminary opinion that the partial jawbone was human was based on the teeth, but the specific indicators were not shared with law enforcement.”
The exact age range of the partial jawbone is not yet known, but the pathologist labeled it as “historic.”
“During a follow-up call, the pathologist explained that the decedent likely was not alive in modern society but was unable to provide an age range without further analysis,” said Nickens.
The partial jawbone will be sent to the State Archeologist after the Office of the State Medical Examiner completes its investigation.
The State Archeologist will receive the bone in accordance with the Unmarked Human Burial and Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act. This provides protection from vandalism for unmarked human burials and human skeletal remains and provides satisfactory skeletal analysis.
